Redell, wife still recovering from crash

Bill Redell Oaks Christian head football coach Bill Redell and his wife, Cheryl, continue to recover after being hit by an alleged drunk driver in West Covina on Dec. 30.

According to Bill Redell, the couple had left Palm Desert and were traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway at approximately 10:30 p.m. when they were blindsided. Their car flipped up on its side, went through several lanes of traffic and then shot up an embankment before landing right side up, the coach said.

The Redells were rushed to an emergency room before being released several hours later. Both suffered compression fractures in their backs and are currently wearing braces to support the injuries. Cheryl Redell may require knee surgery as well.

"We'll be in braces for about six or seven more weeks and then the doctors will take a look at both of us to see how we're doing," Bill Redell said. "We're both getting better."

According to the coach, the man that hit them fled the scene before being tracked down by a witness and later arrested. The injured suspect was transported to the same emergency room as the couple, Redell said.

Officer Edmund Zorrilla of the California Highway Patrol said the suspect, Jose Luis Estrella, has been charged with driving under the influence.

Despite the seriousness of the incident, Bill Redell, who has been in and out of his office at OCHS in recent weeks, retained his unique sense of humor.

"I thought the culprit was (Oak Park High head coach) Dick Billingsley for a while," Bill Redell said. "Don't make me laugh; it hurts too much."

The Lions' strength and conditioning coach, as well as a few assistant coaches, have been working with the team in Bill Redell's absence.

"It hasn't been a problem," Bill Redell said.

This past season, the coach led the Lions to their fifth consecutive CIF-Southern Section title, which tied the alltime Southern California record. It was the sixth CIF championship ring Bill Redell has won during his coaching career.